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Ampeg Micro VR issues poll with new video

If you own the Micro VR with TWO 210AV cabs do you:

  • Have zero issues with clipping or distortion.

    Votes: 47 32.2%

  • Experience the issues with clipping, distortion, or crackle.

    Votes: 30 20.5%

  • Have tried the head or cabs with other setups and they work fine.

    Votes: 23 15.8%

  • Have already swapped out gear with Ampeg for a fix and it didn't fix the issue.

    Votes: 8 5.5%

  • I have Micro Carrots

    Votes: 52 35.6%
  • Total voters
    146
#201
Cam, actually, it's 150w @ 8 and 200w @ 4, and if Bass Gear Mag is correct, will actually deliver close to 250w. Oh, and I have a real SVT, and I use the Micro VR most of the time because it's really not that far off the tonal mark.

Anyway, I'm going to assume you just did this little run-in to have some fun on a boring day, because I really don't think you even understand what the problem is. With one cab, I can get my rig a lot louder than with two because of the way it clips with two. It is so not "just the limitation of a low wattage rig."
 
#210
Ray Salamon said:
I never understood why some people feel compelled to go into a thread to simply crap all over it. Not sure I ever really will understand that, either.
Click to expand...

Exactly! Smells like troll in here:-) I find this thread very interesting, and I have one of these rigs. I'm very curious why this particular 210 does this when doubled up with the head, when running two other cabs doesn't.
 
#212
Bassflute said:
I actually don't like amps running at 4 ohms because of the lack of headroom you get, even big separate power amps (like my old Bryston 4B - it sounded better at 4 ohms, as well, and it had GOBS of power), and the amount of distortion and compression that's going on. 8 ohms is a clean, balanced load...4 ohms and you're getting into reactive territory, and things get ugly - fast!

Want cleaner sound at high volumes, smoother distortion? Get a 'real' SVT, not a toy one.
Click to expand...
The SVT isn't designed to be run at 8 ohms.:D
 
#214
TRichardsbass said:
Good morning guys!

Just a question, has anyone tried the head with a single, 4 ohm cab?

I would be curious to see if that does anything.

If I had one I'd hook it up to my HyDrive 1x12 and check it myself.

tom
Click to expand...

No offense meant at all, but you really need to go back and read the multiple threads on this issue. A lot of the questions and things you're saying to try have been tried.
 
#215
TRichardsbass said:
Good morning guys!

Just a question, has anyone tried the head with a single, 4 ohm cab?

I would be curious to see if that does anything.

If I had one I'd hook it up to my HyDrive 1x12 and check it myself.

tom
Click to expand...

Works fine. I own a 215 Crate rear ported 4ohm cab with American Pro speakers rated at 300 watts. I can crank the amp to almost full power and it works fine. All been checked, rechecked and done over and over.

Ampeg has resolved this issue, potentially. (I think you have my posts on ignore or something lol, I had said this 3-4 times now). They have a fix, sending me back the modded head to test. I was explained what the fix was and I am not going to go into details until I have verified their fix worked when I get the amp. If it does fix the issue you can expect all production heads going forward to probably have this mod, according to Ampeg support.
 
#216
I'm glad Ampeg seems to be fixing the issue...but...

Chef said:
I completely disagree with your post Cameron.
I used the rig in a single cab config for smaller jobs, and a two cab config for bigger jobs, and did not find it to be a joke, a toy, or in any other way insufficient for my needs; aside from the current "clips early" issue.

If you don't like the tone, fine. If you need a much, much louder rig, fine.
But to call this rig an out and out joke is quite an overstatement, IMO.
Click to expand...

JimmyM said:
Cam, actually, it's 150w @ 8 and 200w @ 4, and if Bass Gear Mag is correct, will actually deliver close to 250w. Oh, and I have a real SVT, and I use the Micro VR most of the time because it's really not that far off the tonal mark.

Anyway, I'm going to assume you just did this little run-in to have some fun on a boring day, because I really don't think you even understand what the problem is. With one cab, I can get my rig a lot louder than with two because of the way it clips with two. It is so not "just the limitation of a low wattage rig."
Click to expand...

ttasselm said:
:eyebrow:
Click to expand...

Did they publish distortion figures at 4 ohms? Maybe this is exactly what it's supposed to sound like. It does sound like they have an issue here, but some of you are getting way too serous about an amp that was not, IMHO, intended to be serious.

This amp was issued as a LARK, IMHO - kind of a comical thing. It does sound pretty good, but I think you're expecting WAY too much from it. I didn't say it was a BAD amp, in fact I was very pleased with how close it sounds to an SVT when you don't push it. But, with the bass, it takes MAGNITUDES more power for peaks than other instruments, and this amp just can't handle getting pushed hard, so it clips. At 4 ohms, it clips really early, like all amps. And I didn't call it an out and out joke. But it IS right up there with the Acoustic 360 re-issue - I suppose people are taking that thing seriously as well...

:rollno:

It's a decent little am for a few hundred dollars. It looks very cheesy, and it is quite cheesy; I wouldn't expect much more than cheesy performance from something as lightweight as this. I personally wouldn't buy one, but if I did, I wouldn't expect anything more than I would out of any 100 watt (or so) Fender (or other) practice amp. And in the bass world, there's not a HUGE difference between 100 watts and 150...that's not even the equivalent 6db of boost on the tone controls.

And let me guess, Chef, I'm getting death threats because I said something BAD about Ampegs...

This is the bass world's equivalent of a fake fibreglass Ferrari body on a Volkswagen chassis, and then people are expecting Ferrari-like performance out of it. It's a good little amp for what it is; outstanding 4 ohm performance?...not likely.

Cheers,
Cameron
 
#217
Cameron, if you have no intention on owning this head or setup, and have no real constructive criticism, can you stop posting in this thread? First off, your assumptions are incorrect, and if you'd go back and read the other threads on this issue, you'd see that this head works perfectly fine with a 4 ohm load (and heck, even just above fenderhutz says it, too). And you're assumptions about all amps having issues with 4 ohm loads and how 8 ohm load is more "balanced" are off the mark...
All you have been doing is bashing this setup with no real input otherwise.
 
#219
Ray Salamon said:
Cameron, if you have no intention on owning this head or setup, and have no real constructive criticism, can you stop posting in this thread? First off, your assumptions are incorrect, and if you'd go back and read the other threads on this issue, you'd see that this head works perfectly fine with a 4 ohm load (and heck, even just above fenderhutz says it, too). And you're assumptions about all amps having issues with 4 ohm loads and how 8 ohm load is more "balanced" are off the mark...
All you have been doing is bashing this setup with no real input otherwise.
Click to expand...

It's called Talkbass. His remarks are sound. I've heard worse here bordering on Flat Earth Society.:)
If it can't measure up then it can't. If Ampeg has a fix cool. But really, they never tested it with two cabs? If so and they thought that distortion sounded good what does that say?
You do get what you pay for. Quality control and the selection of pro grade components make a pro amp. As a novelty that sounds surprisingly good it's cool. Gee, why defend a company that makes something then ships it when it's incapable of doing as advertised? If it's only a production run of certain units that can happen.
Ampeg has manupped but the rest of us can't have an opinion? They exist because some of us have been faithful owners for four decades plus.:)
 
#220
chadds said:
It's called Talkbass. His remarks are sound. I've heard worse here bordering on Flat Earth Society.:)
If it can't measure up then it can't. If Ampeg has a fix cool. But really, they never tested it with two cabs? If so and they thought that distortion sounded good what does that say?
You do get what you pay for. Quality control and the selection of pro grade components make a pro amp. As a novelty that sounds surprisingly good it's cool. Gee, why defend a company that makes something then ships it when it's incapable of doing as advertised? If it's only a production run of certain units that can happen.
Ampeg has manupped but the rest of us can't have an opinion? They exist because some of us have been faithful owners for four decades plus.:)
Click to expand...

Agreed....everyone is entitled to an opinion (although I don't see anywhere in the thread where Cameron states he has tried this rig out). Opinions aside, I'll go back to a previous post and simply say that this thread started as a poll asking what (if any) issues people with the Ampeg Micro VR and 2 SVT210AV cabs were having. By that criteria, I shouldn't even be posting here because I don't have that setup. But yes, this is TalkBass and people will chime in. Cameron has made it clear that he doesn't like this amp. Fine, no problem. But some people that DO like it have had an issue with a setup that Ampeg says should work fine.. Personally, I applaud fenderhutz for doing the work and getting a company like Ampeg to stand up straight and take notice. Makes the world better for everyone.. except Cameron, apparently ;)
 

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